1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to heating and cooling mechanisms for treating a desired region of a patient's body. More particularly, this invention relates to heating and cooling therapy packs or pads that incorporate a liquid or gel substance that retains the desired thermal characteristics for application to the patient's body.
2. State of the Art
There are a variety of hot/cold therapy packs available on the market today. These products are available in many configurations. These variations include a textile component that accommodates a hot/cold pack comprised of a flexible plastic film and filled with water or gel that retains the desired thermal characteristics for an extended period of time (e.g., it retains a hot or cold temperature for an extended period of time after being heating or cooled). The textile component essentially provides a garment with straps that holds the hot/cold pack for the purpose of properly positioning the pack for extended periods of time during therapy treatment wherein the hot/cold temperature of the pack is applied to the patient's body locally in the vicinity of the pack.
Problematically, the textile components are often cumbersome and time-consuming to attach to the desired treatment area. Moreover, the textile components typically can be easily displaced during normal movement of the human body. Additionally, due to the varied structure of the human body between patients, the textile components fail to effectively provide a universal fit over a wide range of patients. Thus, the textile components are typically specialized with different shapes and sizes to accommodate the varied body structure between patients. This results in the need for retailers and users alike to maintain a wide inventory in order to accommodate both the combination of treatment sites and sizes. Furthermore, the straps of the textile component can often result in chafing and binding that can result in additional injury or the compromise of normal blood flow to the treatment area.